Political, Economic, Social, and Geographical History

STUDYING HISTORY FROM DIFFERENT

PERSPECTIVES

Many students look at history as simply a collection of facts, people, and events that are not very interwoven.

History is in fact the study of these things, but it is also the recognition that events do not happen alone and only one at a time. Rather, they occur together, and over time, this can have profound changes in our history and the direction of society.

When we are finished today you will be able to categorize historical events into one of four basic areas, thus allowing you to better understand the motivation for events in history.

POLITICAL: This area of history deals with the government and its decisions and how they affect the people.

ECONOMIC: This area of history deals with how we get the things that we want and need to live our lives.

SOCIAL: This area of history deals with the different groups of people in society and how it affects our daily lives.

GEOGRAPHICAL: This area of history deals with the areas of the physical world that are involved in historical events.

LAND RESOURCES MONEY ($) POWER

THE AREAS OF SOCIAL STUDIES

We all know something about the revolution, but did you know that there were many different ideas and events that led to it.

Issues such as taxes, laws, freedoms, problems with money, and political leadership in the colonies all helped fuel the ideas of the revolution.

Lets use the Revolution as a model to better understand the four main areas of historical study the we will consider throughout the coming year.

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Political history means looking at events through the perspective of government and its decision making.

Examples are laws passed, the actions of leaders, and other government responses to events happening in society.

The American Revolution had lots of political connections from the colonists not being represented to the type of government that would be created with a successful revolution.

POLITICAL HISTORY

Economic history means looking at how historical events affected how people get the things that they need and want to survive and live comfortably.

Examples include workers, how laws affect business, how innovation changes our lives, how our money system works, and others.

The American Revolution had many economic elements. These include: taxation by the British, how colonial business was hurt by laws, and how the colonies were able to finance the fight for independence.

ECONOMIC HISTORY

Social history means looking at history from the perspective of how events changed the society and groups within society.

Examples include: How has our ethnic background changed, and what groups and organizations influenced history.

The American Revolution has many social elements. They include: The difference between Loyalists and Patriots, the contributions of women in the war and many others.

SOCIAL HISTORY

This means looking at history from the viewpoint of where events take place as well as how the land and resources influence the direction of a nation.

Examples include: Using maps to understand areas of the nation, resources that come from different areas, understanding how waterways influence society.

The American Revolution has geographical elements including: How did the distance from America to England affect the war, what areas of the colonies saw the heaviest fighting, and many others.

GEOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

IMAGE #1

GEOGRAPHY: Island capital – water systems were advanced – Mexico City now stands there.

POLITICS: Class System

ECONOMICS: Market place trading

SOCIAL: Several Million People now in contact with Europeans

RELIGION: God Huitzilopochtli (God of War & a Sun God)

TECHNOCHTITLAN – AZTEC CAPITAL (1325-1519)

IMAGE #2

GEOGRAPHY: Info. Spreads throughout Europe then the rest of the world

POLITICS: Protestant Reformation

ECONOMICS: supply and demand

SOCIAL: Mass consumption of info. - Greek & Roman Classics & stimulated the Renaissance

RELIGION: Martin Luther’s 95 Theses – Protestant Reformation

PRINTING PRESS (1440) – GUTENBERG

IMAGE #3

GEOGRAPHY: Splitting the resources of the world

POLITICS: Spain & Portugal

ECONOMICS: Rights to trading routes: Riches of new lands & African trade

SOCIAL: contact of native Americans

RELIGION: supported by the Crown

TREATY OF TORDESILLAS (1494)

IMAGE #4

GEOGRAPHY: Spain: trans-Atlantic travel: new world

POLITICS: sailed for the Spanish Crown: he was promised to be governor

ECONOMICS: riches that were to come

SOCIAL: engaging native Americans

RELIGION: spread of Christianity

NINA, PINTA, & SANTA MARIA

Columbus Day -

October 13

IMAGE #5

GEOGRAPHY: North & Central America

POLITICS: “Biological Warfare” for westward expansion

ECONOMICS: NA

SOCIAL: Decimation of Native Americans

RELIGION: NA

SMALLPOX

The British forces at Fort Pitt (later to become Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) purposefully gave smallpox-contaminated blankets and goods to Native Americans during the French and Indian Wars (1754-1763) in an attempt to weaken the Native American resistance to colonial expansion. Due to this and through natural spread, the epidemic that followed killed half of the Native American population. SOURCE: http://www.emedicinehealth.com/smallpox/article_em.htm

Columbus Reading

IMAGE #6

GEOGRAPHY: Salem, Massachusetts (1628)

POLITICS: Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony

ECONOMICS: Fishing & Trade

SOCIAL: family, devotion, education , & the Bible (“City Upon a Hill”)

RELIGION: Puritans (“Purify the Church of England”)

JOHN WINTHROP

IMAGE #7

GEOGRAPHY: The Monongahela River (Pittsburgh)

POLITICS: Battle over North America between the British & French

ECONOMICS: Debt of the war causes the British to levy heavy taxes upon the colonists

SOCIAL: Pits culture vs. culture

RELIGION: NA

BRADDOCK’S DEFEAT (July 9,1755)

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GEOGRAPHY: Boston, Massachusetts

POLITICS: Revolution

ECONOMICS: Taxation

SOCIAL: Patriots vs. Loyalists

RELIGION: NA

BOSTON MASSACRE

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IMAGE #9

GEOGRAPHY: Independence Hall, Philadelphia

POLITICS: framing of the U.S. Constitution:

ECONOMICS: scrapped the Articles of Confederation (inability to tax)

SOCIAL: a formal Joining of the 13 states

RELIGION: NA

1ST CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION (1787)

IMAGE #10

GEOGRAPHY: 9 States joined

POLITICS: Congress of the Confederation succeeded by the U.S. Congress: Virginia Plan & New Jersey Plan = Great Compromise

ECONOMICS: taxation & trade issues at stake

SOCIAL: nine of the thirteen original States ratify

RELIGION:1st Amendment

RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION

Constitutional Simulation

IMAGE #11

GEOGRAPHY: Louisiana Purchase

POLITICS: Thomas Jefferson commissioned

ECONOMICS: Funded by Congress

SOCIAL: Beginnings of further westward expansion

RELIGION: NA

LEWIS & CLARK (1804-1806)

IMAGE #12

GEOGRAPHY: Fort McHenry – Baltimore, MD

POLITICS: Second War for Independence – War of 1812 – “Mr. Madison’s War”: Impressments of Sailors: British support of Native Americans on the frontier

ECONOMICS: Embargo Act

SOCIAL: Star Spangled Banner (1814) – Becomes the National Anthem in 1931

RELIGION: NA

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY (1779-1843)

IMAGE #13

GEOGRAPHY: New York: Links the east to the west

POLITICS: NY Governor – DeWitt Clinton

ECONOMICS: Vast change as a part of the transportation boom and economic growth as a result

SOCIAL: Clinton’s Ditch

RELIGION: NA

ERIE CANAL (1808-1825)

Early Transportation Revolution

IMAGE #14

GEOGRAPHY: First Pres. West of the Appalachians

POLITICS: Democratic Party: Spoils system: Jacksonian Democracy: National Political Conventions (1832)

ECONOMICS: Vetoed the Second Bank of the U.S.

SOCIAL: “common man’s president”: Trail of Tears

RELIGION: NA

PRESIDENT ANDREW JACKSON (1828)

IMAGE #15

GEOGRAPHY: Southern plantation life: Spread of slavery across the south

POLITICS: Civil War

ECONOMICS: profitable to grow cotton

SOCIAL: demand for more slaves

RELIGION: NA

COTTON GIN - ELI WHITNEY (1793)

IMAGE #16

GEOGRAPHY: New England, New York (Burned Over District), Kentucky, Tennessee, Southern Ohio & The Frontier

POLITICS: reform movements – temperance, prison reform, abolition, women’s suffrage, moral reform, public education & philanthropic endeavors

ECONOMICS: NA

SOCIAL: huge gatherings of the religious & potential converts

RELIGION: Methodists & Baptists

REVIVAL CAMP MEETING (1839)

IMAGE #16

GEOGRAPHY: From the South all the way to Canada

POLITICS: Civil War: Fugitive Slave Act

ECONOMICS: Financial support from abolitionists in New York & Boston: reward for Harriet Tubman’s capture was $40,000

SOCIAL: “Stations” & “Conductors”

RELIGION: NA

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

IMAGE #18

GEOGRAPHY: Escaped from Baltimore, MD to New Bedford, Massachusetts: Later fled to England

POLITICS: served as American minister to Haiti after Reconstruction

ECONOMICS: bought his own freedom after he fled to England

SOCIAL: Abolitionist newspaper The North Star: Helped recruit black troops

RELIGION: NA

FREDERICK DOUGLASS (1818-1895)

IMAGE #19

GEOGRAPHY: New York – Seneca Falls

POLITICS: National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA)(1869): National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)(1892-1900): NWSA promoted woman in politics (Victoria Woodhall – 1872)

ECONOMICS: NA

SOCIAL: History of Woman Suffrage (1881-1902)

RELIGION: NA

SUSAN B. ANTHONY (1820-1906)

IMAGE #20

GEOGRAPHY: Atlantic to Pacific

POLITICS: Native American policies & Land grants

ECONOMICS: LAND→RESOURCES→$→POWER

SOCIAL: absorbing many indigenous people along with French & Mexican

RELIGION: Divine Providence

MANIFEST DESTINY

IMAGE #21

GEOGRAPHY: Mexico: Located in the center of San Antonio, Texas:

POLITICS: Texas War for Independence (1835-1836)

ECONOMICS: eventual expansion of slavery and the cotton kingdom

SOCIAL: NA

RELIGION: Originally built as a Catholic mission

THE ALAMO

IMAGE #22

GEOGRAPHY: territories of Mexican War: District of Columbia & California: Utah & New Mexico territories:

POLITICS: First in 1793: more strict provision in the Compromise of 1850: Federal agents to arrest runaways anywhere in the U.S.: Personal Liberty Laws

ECONOMICS: reward $ for captured slaves

SOCIAL: uprisings and riots: tension within states

RELIGION: NA

FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT

IMAGE #23

GEOGRAPHY: Pottawatomie, Kansas: Harpers Ferry, Virginia

POLITICS: Abolitionist

ECONOMICS: NA

SOCIAL: martyr to Northerners: Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “John Brown’s Body” a popular Union Civil War song

RELIGION: “A man of burning religious faith.”

JOHN BROWN (1800-1859)